Spanish clothing company Desigual is catching flak for releasing a TV ad featuring a woman hoping to get pregnant by poking holes in her condoms, pegged to Mother’s Day in Spain, which was on May 4.
In the original version of the spot, a woman stands in front of a mirror and stuffs a cushion up her dress to admire her would-be pregnant stomach, then coyly plays with a pin before poking it through a green pack of condoms:
A copy uploaded by YouTube user jotaTVQ has started going viral, racking up more than 1.7 million views by late afternoon Tuesday.
The campaign has caused outrage on the Internet, with some calling it “wildly offensive” and others pointing out that it endorses dishonest and dangerous behavior.
In an updated blog post in Spanish, Desigual apologized for offending viewers, and stated that its intention was to produce a humorous spot. It has released another version with the controversial pin-pricking edited out.
Spain is currently poised to vote on a strict abortion ban, except in instances of rape or a threat to the health of the mother. Pro-choice activists even set up a fake pop-up “abortion travel agency” in Madrid last month.
- Taylor Swift Is TIME's 2023 Person of the Year
- Meet the Nation Builders
- Why Cell Phone Reception Is Getting Worse
- Column: It's Time to Scrap the Abraham Accords
- Israeli Family Celebrates Release of Hostage Grandmother
- In a New Movie, Beyoncé Finds Freedom
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
